精东传媒app

Plant-microbe interactions are a central feature of the life of plants and range from advantageous symbiotic associations through to pathogenic disease states. An understanding of these interactions is essential for both commercial plant production and native vegetation management. This course examines the defining features of the most critical associations and highlights their dynamic nature.

The principal groups of micro-organisms which interact with plants are surveyed, particularly the fungi. Symbiotic interactions (notably those with nitrogen fixing bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi), the role of endophytes and the significance of the rhizosphere are described. A major emphasis is placed on the nature of plant pathogenesis, the disease cycle and the genetics and physiology of plant disease resistance.

This course contains a highly recommended residential school for both external and on-campus students (non-attendance will mean the student misses both an element for assessment preparation and an element of assessment).